Iraqi Forces Win Back Key Border Crossing in Anbar Province

Iraq’s joint military forces managed to seize back a strategic border crossing in Anbar province near the borders with Syria.

“The Iraqi forces are now in full control of al-Walid border crossing in Rataba region in Anbar province which is located near Iraq-Syria border,” the Arabic-language al-Sumeria News channel quoted Rataba Governor’s Office as saying on Wednesday.

The ISIL terrorists were controlling al-Walid border crossing since last year. The ISIL had captured the border crossing in May 2015.

In a relevant development on Tuesday, the Iraqi army announced that 25 top ISIL leaders were killed in an aerial bombing which targeted a meeting of ISIL leaders West of Anbar province.

“Iraqi warplanes targeted an ISIL gathering in al-Romana, North of Qaim, some 440 km West of Baghdad,” the Intelligence Director of al-Somoud brigade in Haditha Nazim al-Jaghifi said.

“Accurate intelligence information allowed the Iraqi Air Force to launch the air strike,” al-Jaghifi said, concluding that the airstrike “killed 25 top ISIL leaders including some foreign fighters.”